Today in IT History

On July 11, 1979, the first American space station, Skylab, reentered Earth’s atmosphere, burning up on reentry. The space station did not fully burn up, however, and several pieces struck Earth in areas surrounding Perth, Australia.

The fanfare surrounding the station’s reentry hit a fever pitch after it was announced there was a 1-in-3,200 chance of someone being killed by debris. This number sounded exceptionally high coming from an agency as precise as NASA, and prompted reentry parties for those who decided they didn’t like the odds.

The Funnies

To continue the streak of great rum-based summer beverages, today happens to be National Mojito Day. One of the easiest non-mixed drink cocktails, the mojito is a classic for good reason. A medley of a few simple, common ingredients makes an incredibly refreshing and easy-drinking beverage.

Simply mix sugar, limes, and mint in the bottom of a glass, muddle, add rum, and top with soda water. Adjust each ingredient to your liking. Garnish with a sprig of mint leaves and serve!

(Fun fact: The mojito likely dates back to the 1500s, making it one of the oldest mixed drinks in the world.)

SpiceBirthday

On this day six years ago, Fawad Khokhar joined the Spiceworks community. On the same day of the year that Fawad entered the major leagues of IT here in our community, Babe Ruth made his Major League Baseball debut. We hope you’ve enjoyed your six years in the majors, Fawad.

Quote of the Day

"There is only one way to avoid criticism. Do nothing, say nothing, be nothing."

I did that comic a couple of weeks ago. I had already said hi to a person. Her mobile then rang and she answered it saying 'Hi' (as you do). I then proceeded to reply with a 'Hi' and ask how she is. Despite having the same conversation about 15 seconds beforehand.

I tried to run Ubuntu on a virtual machine in Windows once (and only once). It ran, sort of. Really, it mostly crawled. I do hope the "Ubuntu app" is better. Although, with a ten-second boot time on my machine now, it wouldn't be a big deal to dual-boot anyway.

"
On July 11, 1979, the first American space station, Skylab, reentered Earth’s atmosphere, burning up on reentry." Ah yes that was the day they were working on the roof and someone dropped something, making a big clanking sound. One of the staff screamed "It's Skylab!" Oy.

So Microsoft is proposing using other people's money to prop themselves up as the Internet gateway for rural America?

No thanks!

Please, MS... just fix Windows first (if that's possible). Just focus on that little project. When you've mastered that (or given up to Mac/Linux), then maybe you can apply a little attention elsewhere.

Once again, MS is late to the party. I already signed up with AT&T for wireless Internet to my house. It's an unpublished package available only via the AT&T stores, and only for rural customers.

I'd tell you how cheap it is, but then you'd just hate me. Best yet, no more CenturyLink!

Its about time we get on the rural broadband bus, IMO we should already have global internet. I feel like the IoT is putting the cart before the horse; given a global network and proper security oversight we could do wondrous things with the IoT. Instead its just a race to market with weaponized thermostats.

I just don't get why anyone would want Linux as an app on a windows system. Doesn't this just defeat any purpose of using a Linux operating system? A VM for testing things I can understand, but an app just seems pointless.

So Microsoft is proposing using other people's money to prop themselves up as the Internet gateway for rural America?

No thanks!

Please, MS... just fix Windows first (if that's possible). Just focus on that little project. When you've mastered that (or given up to Mac/Linux), then maybe you can apply a little attention elsewhere.

Once again, MS is late to the party. I already signed up with AT&T for wireless Internet to my house. It's an unpublished package available only via the AT&T stores, and only for rural customers.

I'd tell you how cheap it is, but then you'd just hate me. Best yet, no more CenturyLink!

Come on boss, now your just getting silly. I'm sick of the crap Microsoft gets just for being Microsoft. I don't agree with all of MS's decisions by a long shot but how exactly do you propose they "fix" Windows so everyone in the world who uses the OS is happy with it? Because that isn't actually possible...or are we just worried about your experience? And lets not pretend like OSX or any Linux flavor is perfect either, because they aren't. I'm super happy for you that you have a broadband option in your area, but not all of us are so lucky. From where I'm sitting MS is proposing the cheapest option on the table right now for rural broadband AND offering use of its patents for other companies who want to give a similar initiative as shot. That sounds like an option worth exploring to me. Shitting on everything Microsoft does just because its trendy to shit on Microsoft is not helpful, especially in our line of work. If you have a better idea on how to bring broadband to the rest of us unwashed masses I'd love to discuss it.

I remember discussing problems with rural internet in my Network+ class 7-8 years ago. At the time WiMax was thought to be the answer.

And this "rural" problem isn't really that far from areas that do have acceptable broadband available. In my area it has to do with how old the buried telephone lines are or where the cable companies feel it's worth stringing cable.

Its about time we get on the rural broadband bus, IMO we should already have global internet. I feel like the IoT is putting the cart before the horse; given a global network and proper security oversight we could do wondrous things with the IoT. Instead its just a race to market with weaponized thermostats.

You have some good points here. I would agree that IoT is the cart before the horse, but I don't see a way around that in this case and actually I think the cart will help drag the horse along. IoT was not made too early in my opinion; rather, global internet in my opinion is stifled by ISPs that have too much power. I think a more diverse market would have led to a global internet already. I also believe that its a complete joke to think removing regulations would increase market diversity at this stage in the game.

So Microsoft is proposing using other people's money to prop themselves up as the Internet gateway for rural America?

No thanks!

Please, MS... just fix Windows first (if that's possible). Just focus on that little project. When you've mastered that (or given up to Mac/Linux), then maybe you can apply a little attention elsewhere.

Once again, MS is late to the party. I already signed up with AT&T for wireless Internet to my house. It's an unpublished package available only via the AT&T stores, and only for rural customers.

I'd tell you how cheap it is, but then you'd just hate me. Best yet, no more CenturyLink!

I am going to assume you are being truthful even though your last sentence almost makes it seem that you are making stuff up or are pushing a service. So, how cheap is it? (no one will feel bad, and if they do, no one else cares) and do you have unlimited service or are you bound to a data limit?

This person is a verified professional.

So Microsoft is proposing using other people's money to prop themselves up as the Internet gateway for rural America?

No thanks!

Please, MS... just fix Windows first (if that's possible). Just focus on that little project. When you've mastered that (or given up to Mac/Linux), then maybe you can apply a little attention elsewhere.

Once again, MS is late to the party. I already signed up with AT&T for wireless Internet to my house. It's an unpublished package available only via the AT&T stores, and only for rural customers.

I'd tell you how cheap it is, but then you'd just hate me. Best yet, no more CenturyLink!

Come on boss, now your just getting silly. I'm sick of the crap Microsoft gets just for being Microsoft. I don't agree with all of MS's decisions by a long shot but how exactly do you propose they "fix" Windows so everyone in the world who uses the OS is happy with it? Because that isn't actually possible...or are we just worried about your experience? And lets not pretend like OSX or any Linux flavor is perfect either, because they aren't. I'm super happy for you that you have a broadband option in your area, but not all of us are so lucky. From where I'm sitting MS is proposing the cheapest option on the table right now for rural broadband AND offering use of its patents for other companies who want to give a similar initiative as shot. That sounds like an option worth exploring to me. Shitting on everything Microsoft does just because its trendy to shit on Microsoft is not helpful, especially in our line of work. If you have a better idea on how to bring broadband to the rest of us unwashed masses I'd love to discuss it.

He's not ragging on Microsoft just to rag on them though. He actually has a decent point in that they do need to be focusing on their OS (especially from the security stand point given the vulnerability that they had to patch that WannaCry leveraged) and other software rather than trying to make these ventures into markets that, frankly, they don't have any business being in (no pun intended). Once they have things pretty well locked down in that area then maybe an expansion into providing internet services over unused TV broadcasting frequencies would be warranted and they can then play a part in developing standards around it (they can even call it DOTSIS).

Now, if Microsoft and any partners it brings into the project wants to use their own money to develop this, then it's fine as they can invest their profits however they see fit. Otherwise, it just seems like a play to use taxpayer dollars to expand their company's business into yet another area of the technology sector ... and we really don't need more cronyism in our economy; in fact, we need much less.

The idea of more efficiently using the spectrum is certain a good one. It's just not necessarily one that I see Microsoft having much experience in having as effective a role in as other companies, especially ones with some experience in telecommunications already.

This person is a verified professional.

How many times are they going to try this "rural broadband" scam on the public. How many decades have additional taxes been added to all phone service bills to "fund" this project, and still no real broadband for most of the country. With the amount of money paid into this already, and the amount of optical fiber laid during the dot com boom, this problem should already be solved.

This person is a verified professional.

Its about time we get on the rural broadband bus, IMO we should already have global internet. I feel like the IoT is putting the cart before the horse; given a global network and proper security oversight we could do wondrous things with the IoT. Instead its just a race to market with weaponized thermostats.

You have some good points here. I would agree that IoT is the cart before the horse, but I don't see a way around that in this case and actually I think the cart will help drag the horse along. IoT was not made too early in my opinion; rather, global internet in my opinion is stifled by ISPs that have too much power. I think a more diverse market would have led to a global internet already. I also believe that its a complete joke to think removing regulations would increase market diversity at this stage in the game.

National regulatory loosening might have minimal effect but if they could somehow translate that to loosening certain local regulations somehow (especially any hindering network expansion of potential competitors into established markets) I think you'd see some notable improvement.

Although, before all that happens, I'd hope there would be significant efforts put into IoT security. I don't like the idea of "weaponized thermostats" having better access to the Internet.

How many times are they going to try this "rural broadband" scam on the public. How many decades have additional taxes been added to all phone service bills to "fund" this project, and still no real broadband for most of the country. With the amount of money paid into this already, and the amount of optical fiber laid during the dot com boom, this problem should already be solved.

Probably, as many times as the public will pay for it ... that's how the game works, right?

This person is a verified professional.

How many times are they going to try this "rural broadband" scam on the public. How many decades have additional taxes been added to all phone service bills to "fund" this project, and still no real broadband for most of the country. With the amount of money paid into this already, and the amount of optical fiber laid during the dot com boom, this problem should already be solved.

Probably, as many times as the public will pay for it ... that's how the game works, right?

Yup, and "how many times" is almost limitless because the public usually pays for it though additional fees to their bills which just feeds into idea that billing rates only go up because $ServiceProvider is greedy and just wants more money. Government (at least any government that isn't authoritarian) is really better at "managing" certain problems rather than actually "solving" them.